When the Center Held
by fatherlessgirls
Summary: Preseries. The end of summer, six weeks before Lilly is murdered, the Fab Four go on a road trip to visit a psychic. They have no idea how much their lives are about to be upended, but we do, and maybe this psychic does too.


Friday morning, just over a week before the first day of sophomore year, Veronica was sitting on her bed, with a few of her summer reading books spread out before her, when her phone rang. She looked at the display and smiled quickly before picking up and asking "Hi, are you guys back from Napa?"

Lilly, driving and talking on her Bluetooth with music blaring in the background, ignored her friend's question and launched right into her plan.

"Pack your bags Veronica Mars, we just got back last night and I'm in my car on my way to get you. I'm kidnapping you for a birthday road trip"

"Lilly, school starts in a week. I'm not going on a road trip. Knowing you it would be a road trip to South America or something and we wouldn't get back until like October. _After_ I've already failed all my classes."

"And miss Homecoming?! Never! I already have my dress!" Lilly cried, feigning horror. "It's all arranged Ronica. Throw that hot little pink bikini in your handbag and be waiting out on your front porch. I don't care if you bring any other clothes but I definitely want to see Duncan and Logan try to hide their squirming when they see how scorching you look in that bathing suit we bought."

"Duncan and Logan are in on this too?" Veronica asked. "Lilly, what is going on?"

"It's our sweet sixteen birthday present to you. And it's not South America; it's Arizona. Desert Ranch, baby! And it's just for the weekend. I have way too many things and way too many _people_ to do in Neptune between now and October to stay away that long."

Lilly screeched to a halt at a diagonal on the wrong side of the street in front of a quaint three bedroom craftsman house, and jumped out of her car just as Veronica's voice came through the receiver saying "Lilly, I can't go."

"Give me one good reason why not and open the door."

Veronica swung the door open to face her best friend and clicked her phone closed as she spoke. "Because 1) School is starting and I have to get ready. 2) I can't afford it. 3) Even if I could afford it I'm not some washed up desperate housewife who can't get through the summer without her fortification of Vicodin and spa treatments. 4) I just got back from soccer camp and haven't seen much of my parents and, most importantly, 5) My Dad will never let me go. There. I just gave you five reasons." She finished her diatribe and instantly pulled her friend into a quick hug without missing a beat. "Also, Hi. I missed you. You look great."

Lilly smiled genuinely. "I know, right? I got all new lingerie. I thought foundation garments were only really crucial for those washed up desperate housewives you just mentioned, but this new style of push up bra has completely change the line of my shirts. I'm totally taking you shopping. You need in on this."

"No, I mean your hair." Veronica clarified. "You didn't get new highlights and the darker color really sets off your eyes."

"Really?" Lilly shrugged. "Let's get you packed."

"Um, no." Veronica insisted. "Remember reasons 1 through 5?"

"Vaguely." Lilly sighed "OK, 1) I call B.S. There is nothing you need to get ready for school that has to be done this weekend. 2) I said this was our gift to you. You won't have any expenses. 3) What was 3? The cougar thing?" Veronica nodded. "Whatever. Desert Ranch is what you make it. We, my dear, are going to have a blast. 4) Your parents?" Veronica looked at her in challenge. Lilly snorted. "Soccer camp was, what, a week long? You see them all the time. I call bullshit again. 5) What was five?"

Veronica raised her eyebrows for emphasis and spoke slowly. "My Dad will never let me go?"

Lilly dropped her bravado and dropped onto the sofa next to the front door. "Veronica, you can convince him. You have him totally wrapped around your little finger. I _need_ you to do this for me." She whined.

"For _you_?" Veronica asked, incredulously "I thought this was supposed to be _my_ birthday present?"

"It is." Lilly pleaded. "And you are going to love it, I promise. But, I need this too. I'm going to be a junior this year and I have to start working harder at school because, if I don't get into a decent enough college on the east coast, Celeste is going to make me stay in Neptune and go to Hearst and then I will pretty much have to kill myself. I feel like this is my last chance to really let loose."

"Yeah. Right." Veronica snorted a laugh as she dropped onto the other side of the sofa and Lilly draped her legs over her friend.

"OK, maybe not my last time to let loose, but I feel like things are changing. This is kind of the end of an era and I just want some time together as the Fab Four before school intrudes."

Veronica looked skeptical. "The end of an era? You're such a drama queen, Lilly."

"You know that Logan and I aren't going to last another year, and who knows what kind of fall out that break up will cause in our little unit. I just feel like this might be our last week of our last summer ….."

"What? What do you mean? You guys love each other." Veronica sat up, not able to keep the surprise or sympathy out of her voice.

"Whatever." Lilly shrugged.

"I know you guys broke up once earlier this summer, but that was just a fight, right? Are you thinking about seriously breaking up with him?"

"I don't know. I'm not really much of a think ahead type of person. I just know how I feel and I go with that." Lilly said lightly.

"How you feel? Or, what you feel like doing?" Veronica responded with friendly censure.

Lilly's eyes swung up and to the side as if she was giving the question serious thought. "Is there a difference?"

* * *

"Hello Daddy Dearest" Veronica chirped into the phone.

"Hello Darling Daughter who clearly wants something." Keith responded warily

"It's not what I want for myself. It's what I want to do for you."

"Which is?" Keith chuckled as he continued to sort through the pile of paperwork on his desk at the Sherriff's station.

"I want to help you earn that 'World's Best Dad' glow in the dark travel mug I know you've had your eye on."

"That's so thoughtful of you. How do you propose to do that?"

"By advising you to give me permission to go on a girls weekend at Desert Ranch with Lilly."

"Uuuum, no." Keith replied perfunctorily after pretending to think about it for a moment.

"Dad, I don't think you've thought this through. This is Lilly's big birthday present to me and, as far as a present from Lilly goes, this is about as tame as it is going to get. It's Desert Ranch. We're going to be getting mud facials and detox massages. We're going to be eating kale juice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There will be no coffee, let alone alcohol. We're going to be surrounded by a bunch of middle-aged housewives who have no interest in compromising our virtue. This could be so much worse for you in so many ways. What you don't want is to say 'No' to the trip and then have Lilly take me on a shopping spree to La Perla and then a bonfire on dog beach to make up for it."

Keith put down the file he had been perusing to focus on the conversation and make sure he had his 'I'm in charge here' voice just right. "If you went to a bonfire on Dog Beach wearing a bunch of lingerie that Lilly picked out, then I would just go too and bring half the deputies with me. It could give us some much needed daddy/daughter time. I would actually look forward to the opportunity to stand around the campfire with a few of the reputable youths of our town, drink ginger-ale from Solo cups, because I'm sure that's what they'll be serving, and interview them about their prospects for the future and their intentions regarding my daughter and her friends. It sounds fun. Let's set it up."

"Dad. I already have a boyfriend and you've already interviewed him plenty on both subjects. Don't worry. You're covered."

"But has Jake really had the time to properly interview Logan. Maybe, in my capacity as Sheriff, I should pull the boy aside and have a little chat with him."

"You're worried about _Logan's_ intentions regarding _Lilly?_ Wow, are you ever barking up the wrong tree. I thought you were good at reading people."

Lilly, hearing only one side of the conversation, quirked a questioning eyebrow at Veronica, wondering how it had gotten so far off course.

"Ok Dad, forget Dog Beach, maybe Lilly and I will take our new purchases to the Gaslamp Quarter."

"You're underage."

"Like anybody in San Diego cares!"

On the other end of the line Veronica could hear someone talking to Keith at the station.

"I suppose there's always LA…." Veronica mused, as if she was talking to herself. "I mean, it is my sixteenth birthday. I should do _something_ big to celebrate…"

"Veronica, there's a lot going on here today, can we talk about this when I get home?"

"No, because we have to leave this morning if we are going to get there in time to start the weekend cleanse tonight."

Veronica looked at Lilly and shrugged as she spoke, making a face that said 'I have no idea what I'm talking about, but did that just sound plausible?'

Lilly winked at her and gave her a thumbs up.

"Veronica…" Keith began.

Veronica, sensing his resistance wasn't crumbling as quickly as she hoped, decided to bring out the biggest gun in her arsenal: guilt.

"Daddy, I know you're going to be working a lot this weekend, and Mom is just … she hasn't been feeling well lately and I just don't want to …. be around, or in her way. I'll need something fun to do. I think it would be good for me to get away for a few days to giggle with my girlfriend who I haven't seen in over a month."

"How would you get there?" Keith asked, with a resigned sigh.

Veronica did a fist pump, knowing that she had won. "You know that Lilly's a good driver. You said so yourself."

Veronica didn't actually know how they'd be getting to Arizona, but this way she hadn't lied. She also hadn't mentioned anything about the boys accompanying them and, by calling it a 'girls weekend' she hoped he would assume it would just be the two girls, so that she wouldn't have to lie about that either. Boys could go on a girl's weekend, right? After all, what was more girlie than Desert Ranch?

"OK Veronica. You'll be back Sunday night?"

"Maybe Monday. I'm not sure. I haven't seen the schedule of healthy torture I am willingly choosing to inflict upon myself."

"That's why I'm agreeing to this. You had me at kale juice. I know you'll be miserable, which is just what I want for you on your sixteenth birthday. Also, don't be so sure that those middle-aged housewives won't be interested in compromising your virtue. They can be pretty tawdry. Bring your mace just in case."

"I love you, Dad."

"Be safe, Veronica."

"That was masterful." Lilly said, nodding her approval as Veronica hung up the phone. "I particularly like the 'giggle with my girlfriend' line. You made us sound 10 years old."

"You liked that? I was afraid it might be overkill. If he hadn't been so busy and distracted at work that line would have tipped him off to my bullshit immediately. He's off his game."

"Also, what's the deal with your Mom? I didn't know she was sick."

Veronica looked at Lilly for a beat and then changed the subject.

"I'm not really going to have to drink kale juice, am I?"

* * *

45 minutes later, having packed a bag and then repacked after Lilly vetoed half the items Veronica had selected, the two girls were on the road in Lilly's silver Mercedes.

"So how was the trip?" Veronica asked as Lilly swung the vehicle onto the main road to the 09er neighborhood.

"Napa was weird. Portugal was boring." Lilly drawled.

"Why was Napa weird?" Veronica pressed.

"I don't know. Celeste basically flipped her lid about something before we left so being all together there was pretty much torture."

"Flipped her lid about what?"

"That's just the thing." Lilly answered. "I have no idea. Actually it started right before we left for Napa. Right after she got back from Desert Ranch."

"Desert Ranch? Where we are headed right now?" Veronica tilted her head, quirked her eyebrow and looked Lilly up and down in a move that said 'you'd better start explaining.'

"There is this psychic she always sees there. Sarah. She's kind of amazing."

"A psychic?" Veronica asked, frowning "I never pegged Celeste as the type."

"Oh, it's just a thing rich people do. You don't have to be a certain type."

"The psychic's name is Sarah?"

"Yeah. Why?" Lilly asked. "Is that weird?"

"Not weird." Veronica responded. "Just not really conforming to my pre-conceived ideas about what a psychic should be named."

"She's really good." Lilly insisted. "She sees, like, everything. Anyway, this is my other ulterior motive for taking this trip. I want Sarah to tell me what she told Celeste to make her wig out."

"How are you going to get her to do that?" Veronica asked skeptically.

"Well, that's where you come in, Miss I-Can-Wrap-the-Whole-World-Around-My-Little-Finger."

Veronica huffed a laugh. "Yeah. Right."

"Don't underestimate your abilities, Veronica. You could be a master manipulator if you were so inclined."

"With you as my best friend, I have to call upon those abilities pretty often. You tend to get in a lot of jams." Veronica teased. "OK, so Celeste had a reading with Sarah the psychic while she was at Desert Ranch. You're sure?" Lilly nodded. "And then she wigged? Can you describe what you mean by 'wigged' ?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know. She wrecked everyone's summer. She's been on a tear, storming around the place, yelling even more than usual, especially at Dad, threatening to move us out of Neptune, which, incidentally, she can't do since Kane Software is here. She's also been threatening to send us both to boarding school. I don't know, she just shifted into hyper bitch mode."

"And you can't think of anything else that might have been the cause?"

"Well, with Celeste there are always a million things that could make her lose her shit, but in this case I'm pretty sure it was whatever Sarah told her."

"Why?" Veronica asked.

"I just overheard her yelling at Dad a few times. I didn't hear much, but I did hear 'Sarah said this' and "Sarah told me that'" Lilly mimicked her mother in a snippety voice.

Veronica thought for a moment and then mused "You know, I think I know what you mean. I did think your Mom was acting strange at that birthday party you guys hosted for me the day before you left. She seemed totally pissed and she was, like, glaring at my Mom at one point? Did I imagine that? It was kind of uncomfortable. I mean, I know my Mom sometimes kind of takes over when she is at your house, acting like she owns the place. Like, why was she the one bringing out that cake that you ordered for me? She was just a guest like the rest of us. But, usually Celeste is kind of vague and tolerant of all that. This time she was radiating anger at everyone."

"Was she being more of a bitch than usual at your party?" Lilly asked. "I didn't notice. All the bitchiness kind of blends together in my mind. But that party was after Desert Ranch so that fits. That's just how she's been since she got back."

"OK, so, next question." Veronica continued, "Why do you care? I mean, you've been accusing her of bitchiness for forever. Why are you interested in the source of this bitchiness?"

"I don't know" Lilly answered. "I get the feeling that it's something serious. OK get this, usually Sarah is pretty specific, gives lots of details. That's one way we know she's so good. But this time she saw something she didn't want to tell Mom. That's _never_ happened before. "

"How do you know?"

"I asked Celeste and she told me. Simple as that."

"Lilly, this is pretty thin" Veronica smirked.

Lilly groaned "I know. But there is something there and it's something big. You have to help me."

"Ok, so let's recap. Celeste went to see Sarah and Sarah told her something that had her yelling at your Dad and being a super bitch to everyone. Right?"

"Yep."

"And you have no idea what it could be about?" Veronica asked

"Oh, I have an idea." Lilly answered with a significant look at Veronica. "I think Jake is sticking it to someone else."

"Ack! Too much information." Veronica said, covering her ears. "Why do you think that?"

"No real reason" Lilly responded. "Jake is just kind of a cliché sometimes, and it seems like about the right time in his life for an affair."

Veronica laughed. "I think my father would reject that as evidence on the grounds that it's ridiculous. So until we have some _actual_ evidence based on, you know, facts, I'm going to assume we don't know what the big secret is." Veronica continued her recap "So, you think that Sarah also "saw" (Veronica used her fingers to make quotes) something else that she wouldn't tell your Mom. You know she held something back because Celeste told you she did, and you think Sarah held this thing back because it's big?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense." Lilly responded.

"OK, so we're talking about two pieces of information here. One that's big enough that it made Celeste go loco and one that's so big that Sarah wouldn't even divulge it."

"Yep." Lilly said.

Veronica smiled. "So we've got ourselves a mystery."

* * *

_Author's note:_

_I never thought I'd make the commitment to write a story of my own, but I have been so grateful for some of the stories I have loved on this site and I want to give back something to the authors who have entertained and inspired me. This story is for MLP and jenwin23 and Vanessa Galore and silverlining2k6 and the adorable steenbeans and everyone else whose stories I have favorited._

_I'm also dedicating this to Feisty Y. Beden, even though she writes for a fandom that I know nothing about, because she is my buddy and it's her birthday._

_This has not been betaed. All mistakes and inconsistencies are mine._


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